Chapter Three #2
By the way they’re all looking at me, it is.
“Don’t be upset, but I looked him up,” Jen says as she picks
up her drink. “And I won’t say anything except that he seems like a genuinely
nice guy. A decent human being. And from everything I’ve read, I can see this
being a thing.”
“A thing?” I ask. “Like…me and Christian?”
“Uh-huh. But, like I said, I’m not going to say anything to
sway you in any direction. Just know this all has my seal of approval.”
She’s grinning, so I know she’s teasing, but deep down, I
kind of love that she did the digging. Jen may say she won’t share what she
found, but I know she would have told me right away if there were any red
flags. The fact that she’s been quiet tells me that Christian Lucas is one of
the good guys.
I know my bestie would never let me down or allow me to go
out with a creep, so I’m feeling even better about tonight.
But first, lunch.
“Jen, tell the girls whose hair and makeup you’re doing this
weekend,” I say, hoping to shift the subject from me to someone else for a few
minutes.
Luckily, it works, and I listen as she enthusiastically
tells us all about the up-and-coming actress she’ll be working with.
I am seriously happy for my friend. And so proud of her. I
call myself Jen’s hype friend, and she is mine. She works incredibly hard, and
I never realized how challenging both our careers can be. I’m out there
hustling to find roles, and she’s doing the same to find clients. She works at
a salon, but I know her dream is to have a place of her own someday.
I happily munch on my salad and smile at how we all hype one
another up.
This is a good group.
Some days, I let my guard down and truly embrace the circle
of friends I have. I was bullied as a kid, and I know what it feels like to be
lonely. I met some good girlfriends in middle and high school, but I barely
knew anyone when I moved to LA and had to start all over again. But as I sit
here on my birthday, I realize that one of the best gifts I ever received is
the women sitting around this table with me. They are true friends, and I’m so
grateful.
The owner of the café, a lady named Gwen who’s the sweetest,
appears. Clearly, she knows it’s my birthday, because she’s carrying a plate
with a giant cupcake topped by a candle.
“Hey, Ella, we have a special birthday treat for you. I
baked them fresh this morning. Here’s one of my famous chocolate cupcakes,” she
says, looking for a spot to put it down.
“Hang on.” Jen wipes her mouth. “I’m done with my lunch.
Let’s move some plates.”
Everyone joins in, and I’m glad I’m nearly finished with my
salad. I’ll gladly skip the rest in favor of a cupcake. I don’t know why, but
cupcakes make me ridiculously happy.
Christian still doesn’t know it’s my birthday, so there’s
likely zero chance of more cake tonight.
Once everything is cleared, Gwen puts the cupcake down and
lights the candles as my friends all sing “Happy Birthday” to me.
“Make a wish, Ella,” Gwen says.
Wish-making is quite possibly my favorite thing. And not
just on birthdays, but in general.
It all stems from one of my favorite movies, Pinocchio.
I love the song “When You Wish Upon a Star.” It played a huge part in my
childhood.
When my dad started working for Wonder Land, it meant that
our family had free passes to go anytime we wanted. But if anyone asked me
which part of it all I most looked forward to when we walked through the park’s
gates, I would say the fireworks.
They were my favorite.
Many times, we’d go to the park just to see them.
We had a routine on those nights. As we waited for the show
to begin, we’d get hot chocolate or ice cream, and my mom would talk about how
your dreams would come true if you wished on a star. So, whenever we were
outside at night, she encouraged us to make wishes.
I can feel everyone around the table looking at me and
waiting, so I close my eyes and make my wish.
I wish this date with Christian Lucas ends up being the
start of something amazing.
Then I blow out the candle.
When I open my eyes,
everyone’s smiling and clapping, and I have to admit, so far, turning
twenty-two is pretty darn great.
I’m a confident woman.
You have to be in the business I’m in.
But as I drive across the city to the Magic’s stadium in my
old Toyota Corolla, I’ve got butterflies in my belly, and I’m second-guessing
everything. Should I have borrowed Jen’s car? I love my Toyota, but it’s very
old, has significant rust, and my rearview mirror is being held up by duct
tape.
I’ll bet Christian drives something sleek and sporty.
I smooth a hand over my thigh and wonder if I should have
gone with something dressier. Or more casual, since I’m going to the game
first. The white capri jeans are comfortable, my pink top has a little bit of
bling on it, and I feel super cute, but…is it too cutesy? I glare at
my Hello Kitty purse, and even though it’s like my signature thing, I fear I
should have toned things down for tonight. I probably should have gone with
Jen’s suggestion of black jeans and the coral sweater. It’s too late now. I’m
halfway to the stadium, and this is what I’m wearing.
Please don’t let him think I look too young.
That’s a crazy thing to wish for because I do look
young. Heck, it’s been a huge perk for my acting career. Looking younger than
my age is the reason I still get parts on the Storyteller Channel. I typically
play a teenager, and I love it. I lean into it. But this is the first time it
might be a deterrent.
I need to get to the stadium and get this date started,
because the longer it takes to get there, the wilder the scenarios playing out
in my head get.
I can’t explain it, but I somehow know this date with
Christian is important.
And it has nothing to do with the premiere and everything to
do with my heart.
I’m a grown woman. I’ve met hundreds of people and have
dated a few men, but I’ve never had this kind of…anticipation.
Maybe I’m putting more pressure on this meeting because it’s
my golden birthday. Maybe it’s all in my mind, and it’s making me spiral.
Or maybe this is just a date. I’m just a girl, and Christian
is just a boy, and we’re just going to dinner.
It doesn’t feel right even thinking about it like that.
“Okay, I need to get out of my head for a few minutes.” I
turn on the radio and nearly squeal with excitement when I hear Whitney Houston
singing about how she wants to dance with somebody. One of my favorite songs.
Maybe it’s a sign.
The rest of the drive is spent singing along to one song
after another. When I see the stadium in the distance, the butterflies in my
belly take flight again, but I ignore them. Instead, I follow Christian’s
instructions for which entrance to pull into and then follow the signs to the
premier parking area. There are so many people and cars that parking takes just
a little longer than I expected, but I finally pull into a spot and close my
eyes, letting out a long breath. This is it.
This is happening.
It’s just a date, and everything’s going to be fine.
When I open my eyes again, I still feel a bit nervous, but
mostly, I’m good. Perhaps even a little excited. I turn off the car, toss my
keys into my purse, and climb out. The door creaks loudly as I shut it, and I
cringe with embarrassment.
It is what it is I remind myself as I follow the
throng of people and make my way up to the ticket office.
Here we go.